Merlefest 25 Kicks Off At WCC


If you made the trip to Wilkesboro yesterday, you were in for a treat. Wilkes Community College kicked off Merlefest 25 last night and plenty of folks came out as the rain held off for a wonderful evening of music. Festivities kicked off at 2:30 as the event saw over 13 acts perform on 4 different stages. MerleFest, considered one of the premiere music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of what Doc Watson calls "traditional plus" music, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian regional plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play." The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs. Yesterday's festivities were rounded out with evening performances from bluegrass greats Daily and Vincent who put on a spectacular show for the audience. The last performance of the evening featured 1993 CMA Entertainer of the year Vince Gill. Merlefest runs all weekend and will be seeing some great performances from some of the best in the music scene today. Tonight's lineup will feature Patrick Simmons, Darrell Scott, and John Cowan from the Doobie Brothers as well as Sam Bush and Doc Watson himself. Saturday evening's lineup will feature the punch Brothers with Chris Thile and the Tedeschi Truckers Band. Merlefest will round out on Sunday evening with performances from local bluegrass duo Brooke and Darrin Aldridge, Allison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Marty Stuart, and a special tribute to Merle Watson. You can still purchase your tickets online and view a complete listing of this weekends performances by going to www.merlefest.org.